Every month, the FirstPoint USA staff get together to nominate their “Athlete of the Month”. It is always a tough decision to make, with so many gifted young athletes on our books to choose from.
We would like to congratulate
Jake Bentwood, who has been nominated by our staff as the Athlete of the Month for May 2012!
Testimonial about Jake Bentwood
'Jake is my most favourite client....sorry all it is true. I remember him turning up at our Sheffield assessment, total keen bean in his school football kit! (Sorry Jake but you were!)
After the coaching staff decided that he was good enough to pass the assessment I went about organising our interview. His dad was lovely and said that Jake was so excited and eager to impress. It was a family affair at the interview which is always nice and I was totally blown away by the fact that he was so mature for someone so young. He told me countless stories of his football career to date as well as a long list of extracurricular activities which ended with me feeling really guilty about how much I do for our planet. He impressed me further when he explained his campaign to help end mass genocide with his save Durfur appeal, a school group that he started which has gained prominence through the internet and social media sites.
Jake approached the FPUSA process with enthusiasm and rattled through his checklist at the speed of knots, always a good thing for our client services department. He worked really hard for his SAT and was rewarded with a score of 1200+. Jake will be starting the promotions process very soon and is looking to secure a scholarship for the Fall of 2013. We are all excited about the scholarship offers that he will be receiving in due course.
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Jake and his family for being so wonderful, it really has been a pleasure working with him. I would also like to extend a good luck to Jake for this up and coming season in his new captaincy role. I am sure we will be hearing his name a lot around the office in due course.'
- Nicola Pitticas (Director of Scouting, FirstPoint USA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf3t0K9zjC8
We caught up with Jake to find out more about him and his experience trying to find a scholarship:
What is your sporting background?
I was brought up in a family of Manchester United fans and watched great
football from a very young age , trying to copy my role models I had the
mind of a player at an early age although I was 12 before my fitness and
ability started to show
What made you apply to FirstPoint USA?
It was highly recommended by Scott McGubbin who was already on the
programme and who I met through my brother as they played alongside each
other at Nottingham university
What do you hope to achieve by going out to the USA on a soccer scholarship?
It's a winning combination of offering the opportunity to play
college football and potentially play professionally in the USA, and to study
for a degree in a new social environment allowing me to experience new
cultures and paths
What is your advice for anyone sitting their SAT exams?
- Book in advance so you get your preferred venue as they are getting more and more popular
- Be prepared, and revise - do NOT listen to anyone who says they are easy , they are alien to UK students in that it is the longest exam you will have experienced
- Always use the first SAT you take to familiarise yourself with the experience , don't set yourself more difficult challenges until the second one
What advice would you have for anyone who is considering joining the
program?
Be confident in yourself and believe in yourself if you want others to
What are your ambitions?
To play soccer professionally
Would you recommend FirstPoint USA to others?
Yes, definitely. The staff are helpful in explaining the whole process and
treat you like an individual not just one of many
Jake Bentwood footage 01.11.11 from
Firstpoint USA on
Vimeo.
We would like to wish Jake the very best of luck for securing a scholarship in the future and thank him for taking the time out to answer our questions and for being such great FirstPoint USA candidate!
If you think that you are ready for the next step, why not follow in Jake's steps and register your details to find out more about Soccer Scholarships to the USA today!
